Commanders plan for Iraq presence through 2009
Why would we stay two more years to give Iraq more time to form a strong federal government that they do not want? Do you think that the Iraq parliament would of gone on vacation while our troops are dying in they were serious about political compromises? Is it not time for U.S. Congress to put aside the politics and get a real plan?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The senior U.S. commander in Iraq is preparing a plan for military operations that sets summer 2009 as the goal for achieving a sustainable level of security throughout the country, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
The draft, developed by Gen. David Petraeus’ staff, lays out a series of security-related goals over two years, envisioning U.S. troops in the war zone through 2009.
The plan, first reported by The New York Times, comes as Democrats in the U.S. Congress press for a strategy change that leads to withdrawal.
The Bush administration, however, has called for more time to establish security in Iraq so that Iraqi politicians can make progress on benchmarks seen by Washington as critical to long-term stability.
UP DATE
Sunni bloc suspends membership in Iraqi government
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab bloc said Wednesday it has suspended its membership in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition government, dealing a serious blow to the Shiite leader’s efforts to achieve national reconciliation.
The Iraqi Accordance Front, which has six Cabinet members as well as 44 of parliament’s 275 seats, said it was giving al-Maliki a week to meet their demands or it would quit his 14-month-old Cabinet altogether.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:27 am
Here’s an article you probably would enjoy:
READ
July 25th, 2007 at 6:46 am
caroline
Thanks this is the key “victory lie at the strategic level, not the tactical level”
July 25th, 2007 at 6:58 am
The real crux is that we can’t put forth any plan than a plan to have an orderly evacuation of our soldiers from the country.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:03 am
caroline
Only if we change the goal and realize that it is a containment strategy.
We cannot be the policemen of the world!
We cannot change years of hatred and tribal violence at gun point!
July 25th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Well, I agree.
July 25th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Does anyone think it might be a “good” idea to wait and see what the progress report says before all of the “experts” decide where to go from there?
I suppose I could be mistaken, but for some odd reason I think General Patraeus just might know just a “smidgen” more about the situation than John or Caroline.
Bart Brannon for U.S. Senate - It’s time to reign in spending!
July 25th, 2007 at 8:31 am
SgtMac
What I am saying is what most experts agree on!
Ask Mike or evil that is what Isakson said at the GOP breakfast to me.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:19 am
John, These experts you refer to. Are they the ones that are sitting in their cozy homes in Washington DC a world away from Iraq and writing their predictions w/o ever having set foot in Iraq?Or if they do go to Iraq do they hide in the Green Zone under their beds? The largest victories the insurgents can claim are the news reports hitting our newspapers and TV news of their latest bombing.Terrorisms greatest Allie is news coverage. Like the Breasts Not Bombs post I linked to yesterday if no one covered it would these ladies continue to bare it?Michael Totten is again embedded with our troops on the ground in Iraq. Hes not hiding in the “Green Zone” like 98% of the reporters who use stringers.He reported that he was in the Baghdad airport for 7 hours waiting for a hop and what he was astonished at was the silence. War torn Baghdad was silent of bomb blasts and rifle fire.Thats not what our MSM would ever report, no if it bleeds it leads.Michael Totten and Michael Yon have both reported that our troops are becoming more community relations advisers then combat troops with the surge.They are out of their vehicles and out of the posts and walking the neighborhoods like social workers talking to community leaders,helping to get what these communities need and making sure they get them.Will it work?It is working but too few are reporting it.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Mike
The NIE are a combination of experts of what the CIA, military and scholars all agree on.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
John, Michael Yon reported some many months back that the situation in Iraq changes on a daily basis.When the NIE report was made the 1920s Iraqi Revolution guard was a sworn enemy of the US. They now are working with the US and have sworn allegiance to the government of Iraq.Bill Riggio has reported today that:
“The U.S. military and the Iraqi government continue to court the tribes in the provinces surrounding Baghdad. One day after the tribes in the city of Taji in Salahadin province pledged to fight al Qaeda in Iraq and the Mahdi Army, a tribal meeting was held in the city of Khalis in Diyala province. Seventy-five tribal leaders gathered and vowed to fight al Qaeda in Iraq, its Islamic State front, and other insurgent groups. “Here, right now, I am denouncing the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Qaeda,” said one sheik in attendance.” Part of these alliances requires a sworn pledge to the government of Iraq.This was never done before and is a new twist in whats happening in Iraq.
The response by AQ and its elements was to set off a car bomb outside a childrens hospital. This action will do more damage to AQ and its Allies then destroying a Mosque. The people of Iraq want an end to the slaughter of their children and the tribal leaders are under great pressure from their members to put an end to it.As long as we continue to put foot soldiers in the streets and continue to train and monitor the Iraqi police and Army the people of Iraq will come over. As long as our troops continue to work to help the communities in Iraq to do something as simple as open a gas station they will grow support.Will Iraq have a viable working government? Do we have a working government that is going on vacation with wide open borders and a weakening dollar.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
John,
You would rather rely upon the same intelligence reports that time after time get it wrong over the frontline evaluations from trained military leaders??!!
Senator Isakson supports the war by every speech or press release he has distributed. You can twist his words to your self satisfaction, but you cannot make the case that he wants to surrender like you.
John Konop for Peace Corp Exec. Dir. — “All the experst agree!”
July 26th, 2007 at 6:19 am
Bart
Ths issue is strategy as a said a surge or withdrawl is a tactic.
What we talk about is a plan.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:00 am
John,
Not sure what you were trying to say in post 12, but from past attempts to parse words, one can assume you are repeating the dem soundbite — “the surge is a tactic, we need a plan…a plan to ‘redeploy’ (surrender used to be the word used in this sentence before dems used a thesaurus)”.
Since I’m always here to help John, let me offer this definition of tactic:
tactic — “a plan, procedure, or expedient for promoting a desired end or result.”
Hmmmm, a PLAN…John, you would be wise to stop regurgitating the spin put out from your friends like Dennis Kucinich on the left.
John Konop for U.S. Senate — Gonna turn my RED state BLUE!
July 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Bart
No expert thinks you are right!
The key is a political solution.
Once again my plan Kucinich does not support but Isakson does.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
John,
LMAO…”no expert thinks Bart is right” — unless of course the generals on the ground in the middle of the war count as experts.
John has Joe Biden and Sam Brownback, two DC politicians who have never served in the military. I’ll take my chances with General Patreus and the military leaders.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Bart
Bart
They back what I am saying. When you get past talking points my solutions are what the NIE recommends. General Patreus has stated many times the key is a political solution.
The idea of the “surge” was to buy time to get a political solution done. But hey they did not tell you that in your talking point memo from the GOP NEOCON-MEN squad.
That is why the Iraq Parliament going on vacation for August and walk out of Sunnis demonstrates that we need to do what military experts said all along and recognize each group and stopping pushing a strong federal government. BTW call Isakson office they will tell you the same.
As I said any expert will tell you a surge or with drawl is a tactic. The real issue is how to contain the groups to lower the tension.
The original plan Bush rejected from military experts and got rid of the generals. They first told him not to go. But if you do we need 300,000 to 500,000 troops and recognize each group and split them up by sect.
As we know Bush did the opposite.
But hey Bart it is easier for you to repeat talking points than actually think about the situation.